The Five Star Chef Decimo
by Joythea
Summary: One of Vongola Quarto's regrets was never being able to become a chef. Now reborn as Sawada Tsunayoshi, he decides to hone his culinary skills and chase for the dream he never got to realize.
1. Five Years Old Again

**Hi guys, it's another crack fic. No, this was not planned. This was born from a joke where someone on tumblr asked why no one would write Secondo reborn as Tsuna. The joke went "Well that's boring, why don't we write about Vongola Quarto instead?" After going through an evolution of memes, it has finally gained a life of its own. Welcome to the fanfic where Vongola Quarto is reborn as Tsuna. With great thanks to exocara, Wryvel, athanatosora, kilewolf, maneater and Enitsirhc Bob and everyone who supported this idea! This chapter is merely introductory and features little to no crack besides cute Tsuna fluff. Please enjoy.**

* * *

 **The Five Star Chef Decimo Chapter 1: Five Years Old Again**

It was finally the end of his life. He should be fortunate that he was able to have a peaceful death. The man panted heavily, surrounded by many people. Some were family members, the rest were men in black suits. He grimaced, being reminded of his life. He clenched his blanket tightly, reliving his life once more. He had always wanted to be a chef, but there was no one to be the Boss once his brother died.

"Quarto." The man in a white cloak greeted.

"Carlo. _Please_." The bedridden man insisted, and coughed.

"Uncle Carlo, is there anything else we can do for you?" He asked in a concerned tone.

"Please. Give me some pasta." Carlo pleaded.

Without delay, they hurriedly brought the plate of pasta to him. He gave a look of disapproval before digging in.

"Merda, none of you can even cook it right." He spat, leaving it uneaten.

"I apologise." The man with the white cloak bowed and the maids took the plate away.

"Michele, just do what you want with the Famigila." Carlo said, coughing.

"Understood." He then sat down. "Uncle, is there anything else?"

"Not really. If there was one thing I regret… it was not being able to become a chef." The world faded to black, ending his short life.

* * *

Opening his eyes again, Carlo found himself no longer the Italian man he used to be. He found small chubby hands in front of him, and he flexed it. They felt so soft, with no scars or creases. Smooth skin. He got up and stared at the room he had. Painted in light green, there were toys scattered all over the floor. Posters of robots were plastered across the wall, with a action figure on the study table. He walked over and played with it, smiling. Though his adult self wouldn't even give it the light of day, his inner child was overjoyed at being able to play with toys again. He walked out of the room, feeling the hard wooden floor beneath his feet. He paused at the door to read what was on it. It read… 'Tsu...na'. Somehow, he managed to read it automatically.

The boy then headed to the toilet. At the sink was a small orange toothbrush and a bigger pink one. Placing a stool near the sink, he stepped on it and noticed his features. Chestnut brown eyes and a big brown mass of hair occupied most of his head. He blinked in surprise as he felt his soft, fluffy hair. His face was smaller, and his eyes were wider. He put on his biggest pout but failed to make himself more intimidating, rather more cuter. Shaking his head, Tsuna began to take the toothbrush and brush his teeth. He noticed the toothpaste were in pictorial characters he could barely recognise.

He looked around the house. It seemed very small compared to the mansions or regular houses he had seen at home. The wallpaper and tatami mats seemed so… _foreign_ to him. The language he had seen definitely did not match the languages he knew in his past life. Down the stairs, his body instinctively knew where to go. A kind brown haired woman greeted when he entered the kitchen. The smell of the omelette rice wafted through the air, making him drool. She held the frying pan with one hand, and chopsticks in the other.

"Ah, you're up very early, Tsu-kun." The woman said, and he smiled. "Breakfast is going to be ready soon. Mama will get this done quickly!" He nodded.

Tsuna watched his mother lift the frying pan up. Then, she tilted the pan downwards, with the rice at the edge of it. Her chopsticks moved to pick up the thin yellow omelette on both sides and flipped it towards the rice. It covered the rice, and she repeated it until the omelette wrapped the rice completely. Overturning the pan, it landed nicely on the plate. She then grabbed a paper towel and pressed on the sides, forming its shape nicely. The paper towel drained the oil away. Grabbing a bottle of ketchup, she poured the sauce in a zigzag manner. The finished dish made its way to the table. He stared at the dish curiously. A lump of yellow on the plate.

"Today, I made omurice!" She said cheerfully.

"Itadakimasu!" He dug in, wolfing it down.

' _This is so good!_ ' He smiled, the aromatic mix of freshly cooked rice and spice filling his nose as he took a bite.

* * *

His name is Sawada Tsunayoshi and he is an ordinary Japanese five year old boy who lives with his mother, Sawada Nana. They live in a two-storey house, and could pass for a middle-class family. His father was barely ever home, and since he had no memory of him he didn't bother. This life seemed ten times better than his past life. A loving mother, and a peaceful time. He stared in awe at the television, displaying colourful images that could not fit in the box itself. He walked towards it and stared at the bright screen hurting his eyes. He looked behind the television but only found cables and wires He reached out to knock on the screen, only to be greeted with hard glass. He pressed his face against it, and heard buzzing sounds.

"Tsu-kun, don't stand so near to the screen! You will hurt your eyes." Nana warned from the kitchen.

"Okay." He ran off.

There were things that kept things cold. He headed to the kitchen and stood in front of the refrigerator. Tsuna stared at the thing that towered over him and opened it, putting his hand inside. Cold air overwhelmed him and he open his arms wide, taking in the cold. Then, the refrigerator screamed, causing him to jump and close the door. He stared at it for a while. Then he opened the door again and continued to do so.

"Tsu-kun, what are you doing? Is it very hot? You know we can turn on the air conditioner you know! Don't waste electricity!" Nana finally picked him up and carried him away.

She went to his room and placed him on the bed. She grabbed a remote control and switched the air conditioner on. Tsuna stared at it, trying to feel the cold air.

* * *

The phone rang, and he removed it from its position. He couldn't hear anything, so he placed it back. Then it rang again. He picked it up, this time able to hear something.

"H-H-Hello." He said nervously. "May I ask who is this?"

"Is that my cute tunafish!?" A gruff voice greeted, giving the boy a sense of familiarity.

"Who are you?" Tsuna said, looking around.

He walked out to the front door and saw no one there. He then tried to look behind the phone. No one was behind the phone. He then pressed the receiver onto his ear.

"I'm your papa! Do you remember me?!" The voice insisted.

The boy attempted to remember the person who went by that name and connecting the voice to it. He could only imagine a shadow. He pondered hard, but failed in vain.

"Tsu-kun, who's on the phone?" Nana called out before he could answer.

"Mama, there's this weird person on the phone who's calling him Tsuna's papa." Tsuna said, and could hear the other person choking on his saliva. "He's calling me tuna for some reason. Mama, am I going to turn into a fish? Is he going to come and take me to become sushi?" He asked, tears about to leak from his eyes.

His mother laughed, and he became confused.

"It's okay, Tsu-kun! Don't worry, he won't catch you. Give me the phone." The boy handed it over and she held to to her ear. "Dear, it's so rare of you to call! Don't worry, Tsu-kun is fine. He thought you were going to kidnap him! You should really come back soon before he forgets what you look like!" Seeing his mother very calm, the boy relaxed.

Still, he wondered why the voice didn't say anything the first time.

* * *

"Tsu-kun! Wake up! It's time to get ready for school!" The boy moaned, waking up at an ungodly hour.

Half and hour later and with a bright yellow cap covered his fluffy hair, Tsuna yawned, wearing the uniform and carrying his bag. He turned around to see his mother staring at the photo who she claimed was his father. The photo frame sat on the table, depicting a smiling idiot with a pickaxe. She gave a somewhat sad glance, but it disappeared into a smile.

"Mama, let's go." He said, snapping her out of her reverie and she grasped his hand.

They walked all the way to school.

"Mama, when is papa visiting?" He could see some hesitance behind her calm face.

"He will be visiting soon." She answered confidently. "If Tsu-kun will be a good boy at school, then he will come home faster." Nana proclaimed.

"Really? Then I'll do my best!" He cheered.

* * *

"Be a good boy, okay?" She said, and gave him a kiss on the forehead.

Tsuna watched his mother leave and disappear into the distance. Then he turned around and entered the school. Everyone placed their bags in the shelves and sat in the classroom. Their teacher came in and then started their activities. They changed into their sports attire and began exercising together. The boy found himself in one corner with no one to group with. A part of him said that because he was no good at everything, no one wanted to be with him. No matter, he didn't mind being alone. The whole class stood in a circle and followed their teacher's movements. Lean to the left, right and swinging their arms. Then they began to move around. The black haired boy in front of him blocked Tsuna's way. The brown haired boy tried to get around him, but failed.

He then moved in front to get a glimpse of the boy. His mind told him that this person was Ishikawa. Ishikawa proceeded to shoved him aside and he staggered a bit. Tsuna then slammed back against him with all his might, sending his target onto the floor. A sharp whistle blew, stopping the exercise and everyone gathered around them. Ishikawa began crying, hugging his scraped knee.

"What happened?" The teacher walked over.

"He pushed me!" The black haired boy cried and pointed at Tsuna.

The teacher looked over at him with disapproval, folding her arms.

"Sawada-kun, did you do this?" He nodded sheepishly. "Don't push the other kids, Sawada-kun. People will get hurt if you push or shove them. Understand? Now apologise and go stand in the corner." She ordered.

He walked up to Ishikawa.

"I'm sorry." Tsuna then went to stand in the corner and pouted.

If there was one thing that probably annoyed him, it was probably having to live like a child again and learning how to act like one. He felt like a fish out of water. ' _Maybe I'll be lonely in this life too._ ' He thought.

"What's wrong?" A voice spoke, and he looked up. "Why are you standing here all by yourself?" A orange haired girl asked.

"I got punished." He answered, and shifted his feet. "For pushing someone."

"Why did you push him?" The black haired girl beside her asked.

"He pushed me first." The boy defended himself.

"You shouldn't have pushed him back. You'd end up in the wrong too." She pointed out.

"It's not fair that he gets away with it." He muttered.

"You just have to tell the teacher. That's what my mother told me to do. Then I won't get into trouble that way. Good kids don't do bad things that worry their mothers." She chastised him.

' _Be a good boy, okay?_ ' His mother's voice rung in his head, and he looked up at them.

"Do you have any friends?" Tsuna shook his head and then looked down.

A memory of his past life haunted him.

" _Woah, you're from Vongola Famiglia right? Let's be friends." The person put their arm around him. "No harm in being friends with me, right?"_

" _Go away." Carlo shoved the person arm's off him and walked away._

" _Hmph, you think you're so special, big shot?" He clenched his fists tightly._

' _They'll probably leave me anyway. People only want to be with the popular ones._ ' He thought. The orange haired girl looked at her friend, who only shrugged.

"Then do you want to be friends?" He looked up, surprised. "My name is Sasagawa Kyoko. Nice to meet you." The orange haired girl introduced herself.

"Kurokawa. Kurokawa Hana . I'm just tagging along because I think Ishikawa's rude and deserved that fall anyway. What's yours?" A smile crept up his face.

"Sawada Tsunayoshi. Thanks for being my friend!" He jumped up.

As long as he could have friends, he didn't mind.

* * *

"How was school today, Tsu-kun?" Nana asked, holding his hand.

"It was fun! I made two new friends today!" The boy chirped excitedly.

"That's great to hear!" She said with a smile.

"Where are we going?" He asked, noticing that they weren't on the way home.

"We're going to buy groceries before going home." She said. "Since you're such a good kid, I'll buy more snacks for you!"

"Yay!" He jumped in joy.

The sun began to set, giving the sky an orange hue. Namimori's shopping district came into view. Tsuna stared in awe. Many people were walking around to their destinations, carrying shopping bags. Teenagers in uniforms hung out at the arcades and cafes or fast food establishments. Mothers were accompanying their children, shopping for clothes or groceries. The two of them headed towards the supermarket. Cold air embraced them, relieving them from the scorching heat outside. A soothing music played and a wide variety of colours greeted them. He stared at the variety of options they had. So many to choose from! The supermarket was not very crowded. Shoppers were pushing baskets or carrying them. He held tightly to his backpack, and watched his mother take the basket with the trolley. The basket sat nicely in the trolley, and he helped pushed the trolley along.

"What do you think we should eat this week?" Nana asked her son.

"Pasta!" He answered cheerfully.

"Ahaha, you really like pasta a lot, don't you? Hmm, what about some hamburgers?" He beamed at the sound of that.

They headed to the grains section to get bread and pasta. They also got milk, eggs and fish. All their groceries stacked up nicely in the basket.

"I guess I should buy this too." Nana grabbed a curry roux from the shelf. "We'll be having curry soon, Tsu-kun!" She placed it in the basket, and he took it to see for himself.

Tsuna curiously looked at the packaging. He read the contents and noticed there was always a table printed on most of them. He made note to go study them when they got back home. At the poultry section, she bought pork, chicken and sausages. They were placed in the basket. Whenever they arrived at the section, Nana would get her son to read them out and pat him on the head for getting it right. Afterwards, they checked out and were on their way home. When he thought about it, life was actually not bad.

He might get used to this.

* * *

 **Things will progress chronologically. This fic is based on the headcanon that Vongola Quarto had always wanted to be a chef but ended up being boss. AKA, he's the first Tsuna who got screwed over by the Vongola Family. The really funny parts come alter, but I had to write the childhood arc to show how Quarto is different, yet similar to Tsuna in some ways. I hope you enjoyed the cute Tsuna fluff that unintentionally got written in this chapter.**


	2. Five Years Old Part 2

**With great thanks to Wyrvel who helped me to narrow down the period Quarto would have seen public transport then. More Tsuna Fluff as usual, you have been warned. Quarto Tsuna meets Iemitsu and the Ninth. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **The Five Star Chef Decimo Chapter 2: Five Years Old Part 2**

When class began and the teacher asked for what job they wanted to be, Tsuna knew what he wanted more than anything else in the world. To be a chef. It had been a dream that was shattered in his previous life. Nothing was going to stop in his way to get there this time round. Not even Vongola. He chuckled, wondering how he should get there. Firstly, he'd start cooking as much as he could. Then research on the ways to secure his future as a chef. He didn't feel the need for contests, but he definitely wanted to cook in his career. A small restaurant might do. He would be content with that. But of course, all masters start somewhere, and he shall have to start from the beginning once more.

"Mama! Teach me how to cook!" He asked her while on the way back home.

"Ara, what's this all of a sudden?" Nana said, curious.

"Today the teacher in kindergarten asked us what we wanted to be like.. I told her that I wanted to be a chef! Mama's dishes are the best. Will you teach me?" Tsuna pleaded.

"Ara, my Tsu-kun is growing up!" She lifted him and hugged him. "I'll teach you when you're older, sweetie. But first, you have to read the recipe books and learn how to use all the utensils. Is that okay?"

"Promise?" He held his little pinky finger out to his mother.

"I promise!" Their pinky fingers intertwined.

Tsuna made sure to familiarise himself with all the tools. He didn't want to worry his mother. For now, he just had to make use of the free time he had. A child's job is to learn, and he was going to do just that.

* * *

His father is finally going to visit! The man that had only been heard on the phone, seen in photographs, will finally escape those mediums and cross over to reality. His mother had been in a euphoric mood in the days leading up to the visit, cooking up many of his father's favourite dishes. They were going to greet their father at the airport. After breakfast, she dressed up in a nice simple one piece dress with a long coat. Tsuna dressed in his favourite green sweater and brown shorts. The day seemed bright and sunny today, brightening up the day even further. Nana carried a small handbag and locked the front door. She then walked around to see if the house was secured. Meanwhile, he stared at the cab that waited outside their house. It had glass windows, a metal body and big black rubber wheels. He had seen many of its kind on the roads. Tsuna wondered if the horses that pulled the metal carriage were invisible. He walked over to the front of the taxi and tried to see if he could feel anything. Thin air. He waved and threw his arms all over, jumping to see if he could touch something. Nothing.

"Tsu-kun! Don't stand in front of the taxi! That's dangerous." His mother scolded, lifting him off the ground.

"Mama, there's no horses here." He blurted out.

"Tsu-kun, it's a taxi. Of course there's no horses!" From the corner of his eye, he could see his mother grinning.

The car door opened automatically, and he stared curiously. Upon stepping in, the doors closed automatically. He widened his eyes. Cold air washed over him, and he felt relaxed. Strange, he didn't expect it to be this cold. The seats were soft and comfy, unlike the hard leather he would have expected. He knelt and stared out the back window. Cushions greeted him, along with a nice view of the street behind them. Tsuna then examined the window and pressed on it. He pounded on the seat, expecting something to happen. The car continued to vibrate silently. Noticing a button, he pressed it. The glass slid down, and warm air blew in. Nana grabbed his wrist, stopping him from trying again. He stared at her, and then the glass filled back up all of a sudden. Bewildered, he looked in front to see a man in his forties, his hands on a wheel. The man seemed friendly. The boy then stared back at his mom. For the past few weeks, they had been living on simple meals. When did his mother get the money to hire a personal chauffeur?

"Mama, is he our chauffeur?" Tsuna asked.

"Tsu-kun! He's a taxi driver, not a chauffeur!" Nana scolded, and he relented upon seeing her displeased face. "I am sorry about that, sir." She apologised.

"No, no, kids are very mischievous and curious especially at that age. You have a very cute son there. How old is he?" The driver asked.

"I'm five years old!" Tsuna happily answered, flashing his biggest smile and pointing out his hand, five fingers outstretched. "I like robots and cooking! Uncle, is this car a robot?" He asked curiously, his mother tucking him in the seat belts.

"Yes! This car is a robot controlled by me. I decide what this robot do." The driver declared, and then showed the windshield wipers wiping the front of the car.

"That's amazing! Can you teach me how to control this robot?!" He asked.

Laughter greeted him, as Nana told the driver the destination and the taxi started moving. He had been out a few times, but this was the first time he spent it inside the box thing they call a taxi. Tsuna wondered what's the difference between a taxi and a car. They all looked the same, just different colours. From the suburban neighbourhoods, the houses transitioned into office buildings. The road expanded, and the number of vehicles on the road increased. Ranging from lorries, trucks to even motorcycles. A motorcyclist zoomed past them, and he nearly jumped in his seat. He peered from the window again. He became curious why there were no lines indented on the roads. ' _Do trams even exist here?_ ' Unlike the other vehicles, the motorcycle had two wheels.

"Mama, it's a motorcycle." He said, pointing out the window.

"Yes."

"Isn't it a bicycle?" Tsuna asked, confused.

"It looks like one, but it's faster." His mom supplied.

' _When and how did they make bicycles so fast? They weren't pedaling._ ' A bicycle had to be ridden with your own two feet. ' _Was there a horse? But then a horse wouldn't be so fast._ ' Seeing most of the vehicles all so closely together and freely changing lanes, Tsuna guessed there wasn't any invisible horses or trams after all. Tsuna looked out the window, trying to find a tram. All the cars around them had less than four occupants inside. The closest thing that resembled the tram was a bus. Many people were standing inside, crowded. There was so much about this world he had to learn about. Tsuna felt that the world was bigger than he ever imagined.

* * *

The boy looked out the window, feeling rather bored. It had been an hour, and he ran out of things to gawk at. Thus, he started to think about his father. He wondered what his father looked like. Tsuna tried hard to remember him, but came up with nothing. Tsuna attempted to imagine what his father was like. A father that did not have a presence at home, yet allowed their household to function with no worry. He began to have a sinking feeling in his stomach. In this life, he had a amazing mother and a peaceful life. What if he had been doing something bad, like the people in those dramas that his mother watched everyday? Some men in the dramas they watched would cheat on their wives, or doing something dangerous like beating people up and shooting people. But then, there were those cartoons he watched everyday with good guys too. People piloting machines to save the world and transforming into heroes to save the day. He brightened up at the thought of it. Maybe his father was a superhero! That's why he couldn't be home!

"Are you excited to see Papa, Tsu-kun?" He nodded excitedly. "Are you hungry, Tsu-kun?" He shook his head.

Then he stopped at the sight of a white thing taking off the runway.

"Mama! Mama! Is that an airplane?!" Tsuna said in zest, directing his mother to pay attention.

"That's right. Your Papa is coming in on a airplane." She said, patting him on the head.

He watched the wide blue sky in awe. Someday, he wanted to get on a plane too. He wondered how it felt like to be in the sky.

* * *

They arrived at the airport, and got out of the taxi. Tsuna stared in awe at the area. Everything looked so new. His mother held his hand tightly, leading him along the way. He became mesmerized by the many people walking around. He had never seen so many people in the place before. If the shopping mall had been so crowded, the airport just brought it to a whole new level. This time, people were lugging around luggages. He caught a glimpse of white skinned people with blonde, brown hair and people with dark skin. There were the old, the young and many more. Boards spanned across the terminal, signifying flights heading to places he had never heard of before. He smiled when he saw 'ITA' on some of the flights but ultimately decided he would not miss it. Japan was his home now. They walked towards the area where people were exiting.

Many were holding signboards in different languages. He chose to ignore them in favour of sticking close with his mother. He didn't want to get lost.

"Mama, when is papa coming?" He asked impatiently.

"His flight arrived. Just wait a bit more, Tsu-kun." She told him, and he waited.

After what seemed like an eternity of waiting and watching people go, the wait finally came to a stop.

"Over here, Iemitsu!" His mother shouted, and he jumped in surprise.

She waved her hand up in the air. Two men were walking in their direction. An elderly man and a young man. The older man had grey hair and a mustache. He wore a shirt that Tsuna believed one would wear to Hawaii. Vibrant colours. The younger one had to be his father. Tsuna remembered the photo his mother would always glance at. His hair was blonde, unlike Tsuna's brown. His eyes were stern and he wore a plain shirt with a yellow jacket. The boy felt afraid, unsure of what to say to this person whom he had little memory of.

"Nana, I missed you so much!" Iemitsu ran over and hugged his wife, lifting her off the ground.

"Dear!" She excitedly said, and Tsuna gaped, standing there.

Without warning, he got lifted up into the air too.

"My dear tunafish! Do you miss me?" The man said, giving a warm smile.

"Papa!" He said back, cheerful.

"How was the flight?" His mother asked, and he finally slid back in the comfortable arms of his father.

"It was great!" The old man approached. "Ah, I forgot to mention. This is my boss." His father introduced his companion.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. Welcome to Japan! I heard my husband is always in your care at work." She bowed slightly.

"He's the one who's been helping me so much. What an beautiful lady. Your wife is wasted on you, Iemitsu." His mother had her hands on her face, overjoyed at the praise.

"We're a perfect couple!" His father said, flustered. "And this is my son, Tsunayoshi." He gestured to Tsuna, who hid behind Nana.

"Nice to meet you, Tsunayoshi-kun." The old man said in a kind tone, and the boy stared at him.

He smiled, and Tsuna gave a wider one in response.

* * *

His father's boss brought a lot of souvenirs. There were race cars, a video gaming console and many more. Though he felt happy getting a lot of toys, Tsuna decided he would play with them later. He had a lot of free time to do so. Nothing shall stand in his way to become a chef, and that meant spending time in the kitchen with his mother.

"Just wait a bit longer Tsu-kun, I'll be done cooking dinner in a while. Go play." Nana said to her son, who had been helping her out.

"No, I want to watch Mama cook!" Tsuna insisted, and then got up on the chair.

He watched intently, and Nana relented to let him watch to his heart's content. Iemitsu and the older adult were in the living room, chatting. After a while, they began to converse.

"What do you think, Nono?" His father spoke, and Tsuna's ears perked up at the foreign yet familiar language.

He remained still, but continued to watch Nana.

"He is an adorable child, just like your wife." Timoteo commented.

"I know right! He's my adorable tunafish! He inherited my lovely Nana's traits and my handsome looks! He's going to be a good chef in the future! I am so proud of him!" Iemitsu bragged and Tsuna rolled his eyes in response.

"I just hope that he won't have to bear the burden of being heir." The old man sighed. "Speaking of which, that boy won't speak to me." He decided to not hear anymore, and pondered hard.

' _Heir? This man is definitely not my grandfather, he looks too different from dad. He's a European, given his pale skin._ ' He analysed the old man's mannerisms. ' _Dad works for a company. He definitely reports to this man. Nono is Ninth in Italian. Companies don't use heirs, they just find a suitable person for the job. That only leaves that the business is a very exclusive branch where there are traditions regarding succession. Could they be a mafia family?_ '

' _Since I'm not the designated heir, this means there are other heirs. Good, but I will have to keep this in mind in case all of them die. Seeing my father grinning like an idiot and praising me all the way probably means I shouldn't do anything. For as much as I want to plan ways to prevent those heirs from dying, I'm only a Japanese boy. I can't fly to Italy or do anything out of the ordinary. Even if I do pull it off, it sounds inherently ridiculous and makes me look more 'suitable' to be a mafia boss. All I can do is just hope that none of them die then. Then again, I'm sure I'm thinking too much. There's no way he could be working for a mafia boss, Papa's a superhero. Besides… papa will protect me from that world, right?_ ' He held onto the chair tightly.

He had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach but he ignored it in favour of learning to cook.

* * *

Tsuna opened his eyes wearily. The sun had yet to rise, but light escaped from underneath the door. He yawned, walking out of his room and down the stairs. His father and his boss stood by the door, ready to go. His mother stood at the side, talking to him.

"Two weeks really fly by fast. When will you be back?" Nana asked her husband.

"Hmm, I'll try to make it back for Tsuna's birthday. How about that?" Iemitsu grinned.

"Really?" Tsuna said, and they turned to him, surprised. "Will you promise me that?"

"Tsu-kun! You're up this early?" Nana said, shocked.

His father approached him and gave his pinky out.

"I promise." Their pinkies locked, and Tsuna smiled.

"Tsunayoshi-kun." His father's boss walked over. "The next time I come over, I'd like to try your cooking." He said in a very kind tone.

"Sure!" He answered cheerfully. "When that time comes, I'll cook for you for sure!" They all chuckled, and the older man patted him on the head.

"I look forward to it." Timoteo said, smiling.

The memory of his father departing, his large back facing Tsuna, remained vividly etched in his mind that day.

* * *

 **So people were wondering why Quarto, a supposedly grumpy old man, was acting like a child. Well, the shortcut explanation: he's from the past, so naturally he'd be amazed by the advancements in technology. Perhaps the next chapter will address this. Until then, see you all because I'm in three weeks of hell. I hope you enjoyed this short chapter (which I still can't believe is 2k words but felt nothing much happened.) Until then, see you next time!**


	3. Five Years Old Part 3

**A/N: Quarto is a fish out of water who is experiencing Japanese culture for the first time. So he might act like a self-insert OC, except he isn't. Updates for this fic will be irregular due to the need to research for ideas and how life in Japan is really like so as to capture his 'awkwardness'. It might still be inaccurate for some parts but I hope to be able to capture his curiosity towards this new world.**

* * *

 **Chapter 3: Five Years Old, Part 3**

It has been a few days since his father left. Tsuna couldn't help but constantly look at the calendar, waiting for the marked days to come. In order to pass the time, he decided to learn more about the kitchen. At mealtimes, he would sit with his mother and ask about them instead of pestering her about it. Nana gladly entertained him, glad that her son had a voracious appetite towards learning. It was also a good thing that he had been reborn as a child, giving him the leeway to ask questions endlessly.

"Mama, what is this?" He asked, pointing at the container.

"It's a rice cooker. It cooks rice, but it can cook a lot of things other than rice too!" She replied. "Do you want seconds?" He nodded, and she scooped up another bowl for him.

Rice. One thing he had to get used to was eating rice on a daily basis. Alone, it tasted pretty bland but it becomes tasteful when combined with other side dishes. He took another small piece of fish and placed it on the white bed of rice.

"Remember to eat your vegetables." She reminded him, and he sighed.

He reached for them and picked them, only to drop them clumsily on the table. Nana merely smiled, and he blushed. Yes, he is a child, it's forgiven. But Tsuna really can't forgive himself since he had the mind of an adult... Partially at least. Chopsticks were really difficult to use and he had the dexterity of a child who hasn't even held a pencil properly yet. His writing is very messy and rough, lacking the neat handwriting of his past life. It annoyed him that he had to relearn everything again, and adding to that was using chopsticks.

He had seen how his mother deftly use them in her cooking, picking up items easily without dirtying her hands. Despite its difficulty, he refused to resort to forks and spoons. The boy made it his mission to master the chopsticks. ' _I don't care what culture it is, I will never be beaten by chopsticks!_ ' He picked another one and it rested nicely on his bowl of rice. Tsuna smiled at his achievement, no matter how minor it is to the world.

* * *

Ever since he arrived in this new world, Tsuna had been intrigued by the technologies that pervaded it. For starters, it did not stink. Everything was clean and sparkly. Clothes were washed everyday and even smelled nice. However, all he remembered of the chore called 'laundry' had been a time consuming task. How did his mother ever get the time to cook amazing meals? They didn't hire a maid of some sorts. He must find out the answer to this mystery. Deciding to explore the house, he went to the bathroom.

There's a basket where they always dump all their clothes in. He looked into it, greeted with an empty box. His ears then picked up the sounds of vibrations, and he immediately jumped. However, he calmed down and then scanned the room. The culprit of the sounds could only be a machine! He walked towards the biggest thing in the room. A big foreboding machine towered over him as he entered. White in colour, with a translucent circular door in the front. What caught his attention was that behind the door, the clothes were _spinning_.

Tsuna placed his finger on the door, and tried to follow it. The machine spun slowly, moving the clothes around. The boy moved to the side, trying to see if there were any machinations behind it to make it spin. How did it spin?! He pouted that he couldn't get on top of the washing machine, so he moved to the kitchen to grab a chair. He quietly moved it, not wanting to disturb his mother's cooking. He also had to be careful. He did not want to anger his mother. Slowly… surely. ' _It's heavy._ ' Tsuna complained inwardly, but he had to know more about the machine.

He dug around in his memories, trying to think of the name of it. ' _Ah! It's a washing machine! It washes clothes!_ ' After succeeding to get the chair there, he climbed onto it and got closer to the controls. There were so many buttons and unknown terms he couldn't understand. The characters were too difficult for him. Then the white dial jumped up at him. ' _I wonder if this thing makes it spin._ ' The brunet reached out for it, and twisted it. It started making some sounds, alarming him. He tried to get it back to normal, but forgot the position before twisting it. He jumped off the chair and ran to his mother.

"Tsu-kun?" She said in surprise upon hearing his pounding footsteps.

"Mama! I broke the washing machine!" He cried in panic, tugging at her skirt. "It stopped spinning! It was spinning before but now it doesn't spin anymore! I broke it! I'm so sorry!" Nana lifted him up and placed him into her arms.

She went to check the washing machine before adjusting the controls back to normal.

"See, it's fixed!" She assured him, and he stared at it.

"It is? I thought I broke it." Tsuna said, confused.

"You only changed the way the washing machine washes the clothes! It's a good thing you told me, but don't do that again." She reminded him, and he nodded. "Why don't you play with your toys, Tsu-kun? Lunch will be made soon!" Nana took the chair and brought it back to the kitchen.

* * *

Tsuna opened the door to the (1)toilet. A porcelain white toilet bowl greeted him. Attached to it was a remote control console which protruded out at the side. On the top of the toilet tank was a sink. The sink however did not have a tap. It just curved inward, and no water came out of it. Tsuna knew that if he pressed the flush button, water would come out of it. He climbed onto the toilet bowl, and then accidentally pressed someone on the console. The toilet seat started warming up, surprising him.

After doing his business, he carefully reached for the flush button. If his legs fell inside, it would make a total mess and he did not want to anger his mother. On the knob, there was a character for 'big' and 'small'. He twisted it towards 'small', and then the toilet began to flush. It washed all the urine away, and became clean water again. Then, the tap at the top started to run. Tsuna placed his hands there, washing them. After wiping his hands dry with the hand towel, he then got off the toilet bowl.

The boy then looked at the console, wondering if there had been anything else he had missed. He pressed the button, and a tube came from underneath the toilet seat. It had a hole, and Tsuna looked at it. Then, without warning, it sprayed water at him. The boy raised his arms to protect himself, laughing in joy at this. Hearing the commotion, his mother walked over to see her son slightly drenched.

"Tsu-kun… I didn't say you can play with the toilet." She said in a stern tone, snapping her son out of his euphoria. "You can't waste water like that." She chastised, getting onto his eye level.

"I'm sorry." He apologised in a meek tone. "I won't do it again. I promise!"

"Apology accepted. You are going to need a bath." Nana said, ushering him to the bathroom..

"Yay! Bath time!" He cheered.

If there was one amazing thing this life had, it was warm baths. Tsuna would find himself feeling so happy resting in the bathtub. It would wash away all his fatigue and a wave of relief would wash over him. ' _Japan has such a amazing bathing culture!_ ' He just couldn't wait to play with the rubber ducks and play warships in the bath.

* * *

"What's for breakfast?" He yawned.

"Sorry Tsu-kun, I woke up late today! I only had enough time to make your bento!" He just stared at her, raising a brow. "But don't worry, you won't be eating your bento for breakfast!" She assured him.

"What kind of breakfast can be easily made in a few minutes?" Most of the time, his mother always cooked rice and side dishes to go along with it.

"You'll see!" She grabbed two slices of bread and placed them in a rectangular-shaped box.

' _Bread?_ ' Sometimes if his mother felt lazy, she made sandwiches. Not that he minded. The bread didn't look like it would go in, until she pressed the lever at the side. Nana then went back to making the finishing touches of the bento. Tsuna stared at the apparatus in which his mother placed bread in. He went over to it and looked over it. The insides looked like a furnace. Red lines were spread horizontally and glowed. He shook his hand over the toaster, and felt warmth radiating from it. At the side, the lever was held in place. Suddenly, the two slices of bread jumped up in his face and he jolted in surprise. He opened his eyes to see the bread slightly cooked. Wait, it had something brown on the surface.

The boy then watched his mother grab the butter from the fridge. She scraped the butter and softly brushed them on the toast, adding to the nice smell of toast. They were then served to him on a plate.

"Eat it while it's hot!" Nana said, and grabbed the cup with a tuna drawn on it from a drawer.

He took a bite. A sweet taste enveloped him, and he was surprised at the crispiness of the bread. Unlike the soft bread he usually ate, it was hard. Nana poured a cup of milk for him and placed the cup near the plate.

"Drink up your milk so that you'll grow tall!" He nodded, and sipped from the cup.

"Can I have more?" Tsuna asked, his plate empty with some crumbs.

"Sure!" She said in a cheerful tone.

* * *

Today, Nana decided to take Tsuna to the library after he had exhausted reading all the fairy tale books she had borrowed for him. She gladly indulged in his request to borrow more books, and let him pick the books he wanted by himself. The boy explored the library, which had three floors of books. He stared in awe at all the bookshelves filled with so many books. Books for every genre, people and everything. He went into the kids' section, finding books filled with pictures called 'manga'.

Tsuna picked up one of such mangas, eager to read them. In his time, comics were rare. Here, there were an abundance of them. The one he picked up had the cover of a young smiling boy on it. He began reading it. The story went as followed; the main protagonist named Haruto had just moved to another town. Having to leave behind his friends, he explores his new life in the countryside and adapts to it quickly. ' _The countryside still exists?_ ' Tsuna thought, confused. Tokyo was a massive metropolis with buildings everywhere. Never had he seen a place full of nature aside from river parks.

He made a note to request his mother to take him somewhere new, before putting the volume back in its place. He explored the other options, but they did not interest him.

"Tsu-kun, I'm going to go return all the books. Stay here and wait for Mama, okay?" Nana said, patting him on the head and went to return the books.

He began to feel bored. He was going to be here for another hour. A thought then came to him. If this library had a lot of books, wouldn't that mean there would be books about Italy? No one said he had to read children books! The brunet got tired of rereading the same books he got over and over again. He had to know about what happened _now_ and this was his chance. However, upon browsing the history section he felt disappointed. ' _It was a Japanese library. Why did I expect to find Italian books here? Everything is in Japanese!_ ' His Japanese is really elementary and almost all the resources he could find are all in Japanese.

He couldn't just go up to his mother and ask her to read everything for him. A five year old should be playing outside, not finding difficult books and demanding to learn European history. There's also no knowing whether the languages he knew has changed in the past century. To test this, he went to the language section and picked up how to learn language books. He found himself able to read the ones he knew with some slight difficulty. ' _Can I just ask mom to take me to those language classes or borrow these books? But then again, what_ _ **is**_ _the most common language in the world now?_ '

Last he recalled, the British Empire was pretty vast. He _really_ needed that brush up on history… Reluctantly giving up his quest for information, the boy explored the library. Since the journey to find out more about the world cannot be done, he could at least understand what a modern library should be like. It felt fun to be exploring a new place, and maybe in the future he might come here by himself. Then he noticed a row of big white boxes sitting on the tables with chairs in front of them.

All the screens were empty. Wanting to get a closer look, Tsuna climbed onto the chair and stared at it. ' _Is it a television? But televisions aren't this small._ ' He pressed his hand against the screen. In front of it sat a board with many keys and a rounded thing with a wire attached to it. On the rounded thing, there were two buttons. On the right stood another big rectangular box with more buttons. A relatively bigger button caught his attention, having a circular symbol of some sorts on it.

Tsuna then pressed it, and then suddenly the rectangular box jumped to life. He fell backwards onto the chair, frightened. The bigger rounder box in front of him soon flickered, with white characters against a black screen. It ran some numbers, before completely disappearing. Then, the screen became bright blue with some rectangular or diamond like symbol on it, with a welcoming sound. He blinked his eyes, surprised. The background had changed to a blue sky with grasslands in front. Instinctively, he reached out for the rounded thing and moved it.

Something moved, and he jumped back again in fright. Opening his eyes, he took a closer look at the object that had moved. It was a white arrow. A cursor. He moved the mouse, and it moved with it. ' _How is this possible?_ ' Tsuna could not grasp how it worked. Then, he pressed the button on one of the icons on the background. It became blue. Curiously, he tried the same for everything else. ' _This is actually kind of fun!_ ' He started clicking the icons one by one, and then he double clicked at the icon with a blue 'E'. Without warning, a browser jumped out at him. The site he opened stated 'Welcome to Google'.

Tsuna soon realised that he hadn't touched the board in front of him. He noticed it had some of the alphabet, but they were not in alphabetical order. In addition, there were many other buttons and symbols he could not recognise. The boy then pressed the keys slowly. The words ended up on the screen, and he widened his eyes in surprise. ' _Maybe I can write Italian here!_ ' In his excitement, he proceeded to press each key one at a time without looking at the screen. His attempts at typing Italian ended up a mess of nonsensical characters that represented nothing of what he typed.

He sat there for a few moments, before feeling frustration and the urge to cry. Then, he burst into tears, causing a commotion. Within seconds, his crying summoned one of the librarians who ran over.

"Are you okay?" The librarian asked, and then noticed the computer had been switched on.

She was then followed by Nana, who lifted Tsuna up from the chair, trying to comfort him.

"What's wrong, Tsu-kun? Did something happen?" Tsuna shook his head.

He sniffed, trying not to cry. It hadn't been obvious before, but his frustration had overwhelmed his rational side. No matter how much he tried to regulate his emotions, it did not work out well. It really dawned on him that he's just a child, not an adult anymore.

"I am extremely sorry for what happened. This boy is quite mischievous." Nana bowed, apologising to not only the librarian, but everyone else who had been disturbed by the ruckus.

"I think he thought that there were computer games on the computer, but couldn't find it." The librarian suggested, and then faced the boy. "You're too young to use the computer. Next time you want to use it, you can ask me and I can teach you how to use it. How about that?" He nodded sheepishly, ashamed of his behaviour.

"Now Tsu-kun, apologise." His mother ordered, and he complied.

"I am sorry." He said.

The boy was sure that with time, he would learn how to use the computer eventually. Unfortunately, this was something he can't do right now, and it annoyed him. His desire to learn more about the world had backfired on him, pouring a bucket of water over him in disappointment. Almost as if that he went against the world's rules of what a child should be like. Deciding not to linger too long in the building, his mother carried him out.

"Mama, are you mad at me?" He asked.

"Not really… If you wanted to use the computer or wanted one, you could have asked me. Mama is sorry, I shouldn't have left you alone there. Were you scared?" She asked him in a concerned tone.

"No. I wasn't scared." Tsuna said.

"But I'm proud of you for being able to use a computer! I don't think a lot of kids would have been able to open the screen!" Her outburst and praise surprised him. "Then as a reward for your bravery to try use the computer... Do you want ice cream?" The thought of the delicacy brightened him up, and he nodded vigorously.

"Alright, let's grab some ice cream!" She placed him on the ground and held his small hand with her larger, yet smooth hands.

Tsuna flashed a bright grin. ' _It's not gelato, but still good!_ ' They walked towards a ice cream parlor.

* * *

 **(1) In Japan, the toilet bowl is separate from the bathtub in that they are not in the same room. People can use the toilet and bathe at the same time. Just a note if you're confused**.

 **Hope you have enjoyed the chapter, it was 3.1k words!** **Since updates will be irregular, I'll write some of the things that are to come. Confirmed are the Kokuyo Land trip! We've heard Tsuna was there before, so I'm going to write about it someday! Thank you for reading!**


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